Contents

Chapter 209

Despite being so close to Shikamaru, Tayuya is able to use the power of her cursed seal to resist his shadow. He tries to strangle her before she can escape. Meanwhile, Kimimaro continues to defeat Naruto's waves of shadow clones. Just when all of his shadow clones are destroyed, the seal keeping Sasuke within his coffin dissipates and he emerges. Naruto tries to convince him to come back but he runs off. When Naruto starts to follow Sasuke, Kimimaro attacks but is blocked by Lee, who tells Naruto to go after Sasuke while he deals with Kimimaro.

Chapter 210

Lee reminds Naruto that he promised Sakura that he would bring Sasuke back to Konoha. Naruto leaves Kimimaro to Lee and follows Sasuke. Back in Konoha, Guy races to Tsunade as soon as he returns from his mission. She informs him that Lee's surgery was a complete success, and both are then informed that Lee has left the hospital. Tsunade notices that Lee has forgotten his medicine, accidentally taking her sake instead. Guy is horrified by the news. Lee and Kimimaro begin fighting but Kimimaro has no difficulty predicting and blocking Lee's strikes. After Lee takes a short break to take his "medicine", he becomes drunk and assumes a Drunken Fist stance.

Chapter 211

Kiba leaves the safety of the river to hide on land. Elsewhere, Lee, drunk, attacks Kimimaro. Kimimaro is no longer able to predict and block Lee's attacks, as Lee himself does not know what he is doing. After Lee manages to land several blows and dodges all of Kimimaro's, Kimimaro makes greater use of his Shikotsumyaku, sprouting bones from all over his body to damage Lee whenever he attacks.

Chapter 212

Kimimaro's manipulation of his skeletal structure allows him to block or neutralise all of Lee's attacks. This, combined with Lee's sobering up, again leaves him unable to damage Kimimaro. Lee persists despite his recent surgery, knowing he must buy time for Naruto. Elsewhere, Sakon searches for the hiding Kiba. Kiba believes he has escaped detection when Sakon begins to move away, only to be greeted by Ukon, who could approach unnoticed by wearing Kiba's coat, masking his scent with Kiba's own. Shikamaru meanwhile can no longer restrain Tayuya and she moves to finish him off. Before either he, Kiba, or Lee can be killed, one of the Three Sand Siblings appears and rescues each.

Chapter 214

Ukon appears to protect Sakon, allowing his brother to recuperate within his body. Taking advantage of the fewer targets, Kankurō navigates them into his Kuroari. Once they are trapped within it, Kankurō bombards it with knives, killing Sakon and Ukon. Elsewhere, Tayuya hides from Temari among the trees, her sound-based genjutsu unable to break through the gusts of wind generated by Temari's fan. Temari summons Kamatari, who levels the forest and crushes Tayuya under debris.

Chapter 215

Not wanting Gaara to fight by himself, Lee tries to help and attacks Kimimaro to try and provide an opening for him. Gaara restrains him and instructs him to not interfere, saying he doesn't need the help, especially from someone in Lee's condition. Kimimaro, seeing that Gaara does not rely on taijutsu like his two opponents, contemplates how to respond. He is quickly captured with Gaara's sand and crushed, but by activating the first stage of his cursed seal and strengthening his bones, he avoids death. Gaara tries once more, using even more sand to crush Kimimaro and the surrounding area, but Kimimaro again survives.

Chapter 216

With level two of his cursed seal active, Kimimaro is able to outrun Gaara's sand and break through some of his more basic defences. He uses his spine to immobilise Gaara and creates a battering ram out of bone. Kimimaro claims it to be capable of breaking through any defence, so Gaara creates his strongest defence: a Shukaku replica. As the two test which is superior, Orochimaru and Kabuto discuss Kimimaro. The last member of the Kaguya clan, Kimimaro is a natural prodigy with the clan's Shikotsumyaku. Both repeat their regrets that Kimimaro's illness will soon cause his death, depriving Orochimaru of such a useful ability.

Chapter 217

Gaara's defence proves stronger than Kimimaro's attack. Defeated, Kimimaro finds solace in that, when he dies, he will continue to live on in Orochimaru's heart. Gaara tells him he has been brainwashed and buries him underground. Kimimaro attacks again as he sinks, sprouting a field of bones from the ground, but Gaara protects himself and Lee from damage. Kimimaro emerges from one of the bones, telling them he was not brainwashed and preparing another attack. He succumbs to his illness before he can follow through. Lee and Gaara discuss Kimimaro and how strong he was, which Gaara observes to have been because he fought for Orochimaru. Even if someone is evil, people who consider them precious will always fight for them. At the Valley of the End, Naruto finally tracks Sasuke down.